Sea Shepherd’s Cove Guardians send a special thank you to the Tomchin Family Charitable Foundation. Photo: Sea ShepherdTo honor Sea Shepherd’s dedicated volunteer Cove Guardians, the Tomchin Family Charitable Foundation issued a challenge grant to Sea Shepherd supporters, kindly offering to match donations to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society dollar-for-dollar up to $20,000 throughout the month of September – and you rose to the challenge! We are thrilled to share the news that the $20,000 goal was surpassed, raising more than $40,000 in total with the matching donations from the Foundation!

Your support will now go even further as our Cove Guardians continue Operation Henkaku, Sea Shepherd’s sixth consecutive season on the ground in Taiji. Each one of you can make a world of difference in our efforts to bring the brutal capture and slaughter of cetaceans in Taiji’s infamous cove to an end.

All donations received, including those beyond the $20,000 matching goal, will go directly to Sea Shepherd USA’s campaigns and efforts to defend ocean wildlife and habitats around the globe.

Sea Shepherd first exposed the Taiji dolphin slaughter to the world in 2003. In 2010, our Cove Guardians took up positions alongside the now-infamous killing cove to document, report and live stream, bringing outside pressure upon Japan to end this horrific massacre of cetaceans. The only group in Taiji daily throughout the entire six-month hunt season, our brave volunteers serve as the eyes of the world, ensuring that no dolphin or small whale is captured or killed unseen by Sea Shepherd’s cameras. As the Cove Guardians have documented time and time again, the captive selection process occurs simultaneously to the slaughter – and the lucrative international trade in live dolphins for captivity is the economic fuel that drives the hunting boats in search of pods.

Sea Shepherd and our Cove Guardians currently stationed in Taiji, Japan send oceans of thanks to the Tomchin Family Charitable Foundation for their generosity, and to all who have donated and spread the word to support Sea Shepherd’s work for the dolphins and for the oceans they call home.

Established in 2005, the Tomchin Family Charitable Foundation gives to pre-selected non-profit organizations working on behalf of arts, education, human services and the environment. The Foundation has been giving to Sea Shepherd since 2009.

“The Cove Guardians bear witness to the worst of humanity. Let’s join forces to show the best of humanity stands and supports them,” said a representative from the Foundation.